2025 Mid-Year Recruitment Trends Report
A lot has changed in six months.
The first half of 2025 has been dynamic for recruitment and talent acquisition. A cooling yet still-competitive labor market, rapid technological advances (especially AI), and evolving candidate expectations are reshaping how organizations attract and retain talent.
This mid-year report highlights current U.S. hiring trends, expert projections into late 2025 and 2026, key industry-specific insights, and a closer examination of generational expectations in the workplace.
This report delivers an insight-driven snapshot that talent acquisition leaders can quickly digest and use in strategy planning. Please enjoy this complimentary resource that we prepared so you can make the best recruitment decisions.
Staying on Top of Recruitment Trends (2026 update)
Staying on top of recruitment trends is critical because hiring is shifting fast, especially with AI, skills-based hiring, and changing candidate expectations reshaping what “good” looks like. Recent analyses indicate that 2026 talent markets are characterized by AI on both sides of the table, a more cautious yet still competitive hiring approach, and a strong shift toward skills-first evaluation.
Companies that track these shifts early can adjust their sourcing, screening, and assessment strategies before talent gaps hurt delivery or growth. Understanding trends like AI-enabled screening, skills-based hiring, flexible work models, and evolving candidate experience standards helps leaders refine job design, compensation, and employer branding so they stay attractive to scarce talent.
Ultimately, treating recruitment trends as a strategic signal, not background noise, lets organizations plan proactively, allocate budgets wisely, and avoid being surprised by market changes competitors have already adapted to.
